WASHINGTON, DC – FWD.us President Todd Schulte issued the following statement today urging the Biden Administration to help protect Black immigrants and their families and communities by designating TPS for Mauritania, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC):

“As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, we renew our call for the Biden Administration to help protect Black immigrants by designating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Mauritania, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). TPS is a crucial form of humanitarian relief that affects a number of countries with large Black populations living in the United States; currently, TPS designations exist for Cameroon, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. The Biden Administration has taken the correct steps in these cases to successfully utilize the TPS program and provide protections for individuals and families who cannot safely return to their home countries due to armed conflict, natural disaster, and other humanitarian crises.

“But the Biden Administration and Congress can and must go further to provide life-saving relief for Black immigrants from other countries, including Mauritania, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. TPS protections will help ensure that immigrants from these nations can remain in the U.S when a safe return to their home country isn’t possible; this is particularly true for Black Mauritanians, who are targeted by Mauritania’s government and face horrifying conditions, including enslavement, statelessness, and violence. It’s unconscionable that they face the threat of deportation back to these dangerous and life-threatening circumstances.

“Like all people, Black immigrants—who are disproportionately targeted for detention and deportation—deserve to live in safety with their families, free from fear. We urge the Biden Administration to designate TPS for Mauritania, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to help protect Black immigrants and extend meaningful relief to Black families and communities. These are only some of the many steps possible and needed to build a humane immigration system, but they are common sense steps that the administration can and should take today.”

Read the new FWD.us report: Temporary Protected Status protects families while also boosting the U.S. economy.